What Happened to Brian Ortega? All We Know So Far About Dan Ige’s Reported Short Notice Diego Lopes Fight at UFC 303

UFC 303 goes through yet another hurdle as the co-main event gets reportedly jeopardized. After failing to make weight at the initially planned featherweight division, Brian Ortega pushed his fight against Diego Lopes to the lightweight category at the very last minute. 

After the fallout of the greatly anticipated fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, and then Jamahall Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg, Ortega pulls out of the fight a couple of hours before his fight with Lopes. He was medically unable to compete and simply couldn’t make weight. But just hours before the main card, the famed MMA reporter, Ariel Helwani, came forward with a piece of shocking news.

Dan Ige to replace Brian Ortega and fight Diego Lopes In the co-main event at UFC 303

Just as things were beginning to settle down and the fight fans had their excitement up high, news about ‘T-City’ planning to withdraw from the fight at the very last moment took the fighting community by surprise as Helwani shared the news on X. Even though it wasn’t confirmed, the reporter hinted that Ortega was right on the ledge of withdrawal from the fight due to health issues. In Ortega’s stead, Ige would swoop in to save the card and fight Lopes in the catchweight category.

The famed MMA reporter wrote, “UFC is trying to book Dan Ige x Diego Lopes tonight, I’m told. It’s not 100% yet. Ortega is on the verge of having to withdraw. He is sick, sources say. The plan would be a 165-pound catchweight fight, if it gets over the line. Ige would have to weigh in tonight. I honestly have never heard of anything like this before considering he didn’t weigh in yesterday. Developing.”

But soon after Helwani hinted at the fighter’s withdrawal from the fight, the commentators announced that he was indeed out of the fight. But Dan Ige was right around the corner and stepped in to save the fight. 

Dan Ige steps in to save the card

It was later revealed that Ortega had a high fever. But Ige was confirmed to take on the Brazilian mixed martial artist now. Aaron Bronsteter took to X and announced the news. He wrote, “Dan Ige steps in for Brian Ortega to face Diego Lopes in tonight’s co-main event per the broadcast. Ortega had a 103 degree fever. Working to find out how it was handled on the commission side.”

Do you think Ige vs. Lopes would be as interesting as Ortega vs. Lopes? Let us know in the comments down below.